Going home
by archerm99
Summary: AU Warning. Rated T just to be safe. Willow Holland is stuck out in Germany when the war is starting. Hallam is desperately trying to get his daughter home. Written from the view of Willow and Hallam. Please review. Constructive Critism Welcome.


**Willow**

The phone slipped out of my hand. "Dad!" I screamed. He was the one who'd always protected me. I didn't realise it until now, but he'd always been there for me when no-one else could. He'd stuck up for me against my mum. But without him now I was screwed. I needed him. I wanted my dad to get me out of here. My hands fumbled with the receiver. I finally got it up by my ear.

"Willow? Where are you? What's happening?" My dad was trying to stay calm, perhaps for my sake. I heard someone take hold of the phone my dad was holding.

"Willow? Are you okay? Willow please talk to me. Tell me what's happening, darling," My mum spoke in stutters into the phone.

"Mother? Please! They're breaking into the shops. There's glass everywhere. Mother, is dad there? Can I talk-" I heard more fumbling.

"Willow, tell me what's happening. What can you see, darling?"

"Dad? They're breaking into the shops down the street. All the windows are smashed. There's glass everywhere. They're rounding up people."

"Who is, Willow? Who are they rounding up?"

"I don't know who they are. Dad please help me. I'm begging you. Please, dad."

"You're family. You're still my little girl. You don't have to. I'll work something out, Willow. Just get out of there. Hide. Go back to your room. Anything, okay?"

"Yes, dad." Gunshot. I screamed.

"Willow?! Now. Just get out of there. Call me when you're somewhere safe." I threw down the receiver and ran.

**Hallam**

Oh crap. My daughter was out there. There were people with guns. I had to get her out of there. Agnes was sniffling in front of me.

"Hallam? I want her home."

"I'm going to go and get her. She'll be okay. She's a clever girl. She'll find a way out." At least I hoped she would. I was begging her to.

"Hallam please. She's our daughter. We have to get her out." I knew we meant I. I was the one who would be able to try to use the War Office to find her easier.

"I will. As soon as she calls and I find out where she is, I'll get a train there and bring her home. Agnes, she will be okay."

"I hope so." So did I.

**Willow**

I didn't know where I was. I was lost. I'd just run. As fast as I could. As far as I could. Away from the guns. Rain thundered down upon me. I needed to find somewhere to stay for the night. Preferably somewhere with a phone. I saw light leave a doorway. There was a small streak of light; too small to see anything you weren't looking for but big enough to see someone walking towards me. I stepped back, but stumbled over something sharp on the floor. I felt something wet and sticky meander down my leg where I'd hit it. The person kept coming nearer. If I screamed I could draw the attention I didn't want to myself. I could keep them off and away from me if they had a knife but not for too long. The person towered above me.

**Hallam**

I was getting more and more worried. I needed to know my daughter was safe. I needed her to phone me. And quickly. Agnes was getting more and more traumatic too. I needed Willow safe. I needed to know she was safe. Otherwise I couldn't stay calm. I'd rang the War Office imminently after I'd received the phone call from Willow but they didn't know where she was, so without her calling me I couldn't work out how to get to her. I had to keep reassuring myself. The voices inside my head kept repeating "She's fine" but something was telling me she wasn't. Like a 6th sense.

**Willow**

"Willow? Willow, it's okay. It's Harry, Harry Spargo. Your family's chauffer? Willow you're okay. I'm here. Come with me. I'll get you out of here. I'm staying here too. Just follow me," he knelt down beside me and his hand touched the gash on my leg. I winced. "Woah, Willow. That was a bad fall. Give me your hand; I'll lead you towards where I'm staying. It's safe there. Then I can sort your leg out. Please trust me, Willow." He held out his hand

"Okay. Thank you, Harry." I took hold of his hand. He helped me up, then started leading me towards the door where he'd come from. Harry reached out with the hand he'd been holding my hand with, his other still comfortingly around my waist, and twisted the door handle in front of us. He led me into the house.

**Hallam**

Nearly two hours after the phone call. No reply. I was starting to prepare myself for the worst. Maybe they'd got her. Maybe I'd get a phone call from someone saying my daughter had been taken. Or worse. Maybe they'd say the people had just shot her straight out. Or maybe they'd done something to her before that. I stopped myself there. No. I couldn't think that. I couldn't let that happen to her. I couldn't think and believe someone had done that to her.

**Willow**

"Thanks, Harry."

"You're welcome, Willow," he replied, giving the bandage he'd wrapped around my leg a small tug.

"Um, do you have a phone? It's just I rang my dad before I ran telling him what was happening and he told me to ring him once I'd got out of there… Don't worry if not…"

"Yes I do. Here." He led me through the lounge door and into the kitchen. The phone was sat on the side.

"Thanks."

"Okay. Take your time." He left the kitchen and closed the door, giving me some privacy. I went over to the phone and dialled my home number.

**Hallam**

The phone was ringing. I grabbed it.

"Hello? It's Hallam Holland here." I sped talked into the phone.

"Dad? It's Willow." Thank God.

"Are you alright, darling? Where are you? Are you safe?"

"Yes I am, dad. I'm with Harry Spargo, the Chauffer. I slipped and cut my leg but he's patched it up and I'm staying with him. We're at his mother's house. He was staying there on his leave. He was going to leave today to go onto somewhere else but he'd decided to stay an extra day. So lucky me I guess."

"Okay, darling. Tell him thank you from me." She was safe. I breathed for the first time since she'd rung the first time.

"I will, dad."

"Where are you? What's the address?"

"14 Halesbury Road, Oberramstadt."

"I want you to take the next train or plane out of there and come home. Ring me to tell me where you got it to and I'll come and meet you there, understood?"

"Yes, dad. I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For leaving and coming out here in the first place and then worrying you and mother."

"Willow, it was my fault. I shouldn't have stopped you. It's your life. We worry about you anyway. It's what we do as parents."

"I still shouldn't have left. I could have been killed. I'm sorry, dad."

"It's okay, darling. Please, stop saying sorry. I need to go now. I'll tell your mother you rang and that you're safe. Thank you for ringing. It's put my mind and it will your mother's to rest. Thank you, darling. I love you."

"I love you too, dad. Okay. I'll ring you soon. Bye."

"Good bye, darling." I heard her put the receiver down. I placed mine down on its holder. Thank God she was alright. Thank God she was safe. I would never be able to repay Harry Spargo. He'd just saved my little girl's life. I had to tell Agnes Willow was safe. I stood up and walked down the corridor to where I knew my wife was sat.

"Agnes, darling?" She looked over to me. She'd been staring out of the window. She must have been starting to mourn our child who was not dead.

"Yes?"

"I've had some news. About Willow."

"Oh. Is it bad?"

"No. She's safe. She's just rang me. Harry Spargo found her and took him to where he was staying at his mother's house. She'd hurt her leg so he sorted that out for her. She's safe, darling. She'll ring back when she gets the train or plane somewhere else and I'll meet her there. I'll bring her home, darling." Realisation that her daughter was safe flooded into my wife's eyes. She started smiling and crying.

"Thank God." I stepped closer to my wife and sat next to her on the window seat, wrapping my arm around her. She curled herself into my shoulder.

"Yes, darling. Thank God. She's safe. She's coming home."

"Thank you, Hallam."

"You're welcome, Agnes. Willow had started to apologise for leaving home and running away. I told her not to be because it was my fault."

"No, Hallam, it wasn't your fault. It was our fault. I didn't stand up for her either." Agnes reached up towards my lips with hers. I met them. It was moments like this that I loved. The moments where we'd had some news that meant the world to us and we just sat there or stood there and hugged or kissed or whatever. I loved those moments.

**Willow**

I left the kitchen and wandered back into the lounge.

"Thank you, Harry. My dad told me to thank you for him."

"You're welcome and he's welcome too. What did he say?"

"He told me to get the next plane or train out of here and ring him when it was about to leave to tell him where I was going so he can meet me there."

"That's good. Do you want to stay here for the night and get the train or plane tomorrow?"

"Um, yes please. If that's okay?"

"Of course it is, Willow."

"Thanks." He smiled and nodded once in reply.

**Hallam**

My daughter was safe. My wife was smiling once again. Everything was good. Everything was normal. Now it was just a case of Willow ringing me back, probably tomorrow, and telling me where she was going so I could meet her there.

**Willow**

The next flight to London was at 4pm. That was the flight I was going to take. Harry lent me some money which I said I would repay him so I could get a ticket. He said he'd drive me to the airport too. I rang back my dad.

"Hello? Hallam Holland."

"Hi, dad."

"Hello, darling. How are you?"

"I'm good thanks, what about you?"

"Good thank you."

"I'm getting the 4 o'clock plane to London today. It should arrive at about 7pm."

"Okay, darling. I'll meet you there." I heard someone talk to my dad in the background.

"Your mother wants to talk to you, darling. I'll see you tonight."

"Okay, dad." I heard him give the phone to my mother.

"Willow, darling?"

"Hello, mother."

"Oh thank goodness, darling. Your father and I were worried sick."

"I'm okay, mother. You don't need to be worried. Harry Spargo helped me."

"The chauffer? Why was he there?"

"He's on leave. He's staying with his mother."

"Oh okay, darling. Your father is coming to meet you tonight. Do you need anything?"

"No, mother."

"Okay, darling. I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too, mother. Bye." I hung up.

**Hallam**

I arrived at the airport at quarter to 7. The plane arrived at 10 past 7. Several people left the plane. No Willow. I started to panic. Where was she? I turned and looked around me. She hadn't passed me. Crap. Where was she? I turned back towards the plane. Still no sign of her. I started to turn to walk back to the car.

"Dad?" I heard someone call out behind me. I turned back to face the plane. Willow was walking down the steps of the plane. She was shivering. I started walking towards her, her mother's coat her mother had told me to give to her in my arms.

"Willow?" I draped the coat around her, and then put my arm around her to give her extra warmth.

"Are you alright, darling?"

"Yes, dad. Thank you."

"You're welcome." I opened the car door for her and helped her in. I then climbed in and sat next to her. She moved closer to me. She was cold. She sniffed.

"Mother's changed her perfume."

"Has she?"

"Yes, here." She offered me the collar part of the coat. I leant in. She was right. Her mother had. How did I not notice that?

"It's nice. I prefer it."

"So do I, dad."

"Are you cold?"

"A little." I wrapped my arm around her, trying to warm her up. She pressed against me, trying to warm up.

"You're warm, dad." I smiled.

"Hopefully I'm warming you up."

"You are. Thank you." She leant her head against my chest. She was starting to feel warmer.

"Sleep if you like, darling."

"Okay, dad." After a few minutes I felt her body slump a little. She was asleep. She was breathing deeply. I stroked her side then kissed her hair.

"Goodnight, darling." I'd wake her up when we got home. She was safe. It was comforting having her with me again. It was comforting to know she was with me and she was safe.


End file.
